On that basis of eliminating suffering then, not only should Dr van Hoey be exonerated of any charge in respect to the death of Simona de Moor, he should, like his colleague Dr Wim Distelmans, receive a humanitarian award.

"There is no evidence base to operationalize 'unbearable suffering,' there are no prospective studies of decision-making capacity in persons seeking EAS for psychiatric reasons, and the prognosis of patients labeled as 'treatment-resistant depression' varies considerably."